Transportation in the Virgin Islands

All main island roads are paved, so the best mode of
transportation is a car, jeep, truck or in other words a motored
vehicle.

Cars

Cars, jeeps, trunks are by far the most common way to get
around. You will find quite a number of them on St. Thomas, St.
Croix and St. John. On Water Island you will find a few cars and
golf carts.

Motorcycles

There are some motorcycles on St. Thomas and St.
Croix, fewer on St. John.

Scooters

Scooters are just getting
started on St. Thomas as a
method for visitors to get around for the day while visiting on
cruise ships. A few residents use them for transportation, but not
very many. The roads here are fairly steep and windy making
scooters a poor choice for everyday transportation. They are not
yet common on St. John as the roads are better
suited for cars, jeeps and trucks. Scooters are not common on St.
Croix.

Bicycles

Bicycles are more for sport then transportation; the
roads in the VI are steep so you don't find much bicycle riding in
general. Ffor those interested, St. Croix has a half man triathlon
race that includes grueling bike competitions.

Hitchhiking

Although not recommended as a sole form of
transportation, you can hitchhike; St. John and St. Thomas are
more hitchhiking friendly then St. Croix, however it still is not
extremely common. It is more common on St. John then on the other
islands.

Bus

There is a public bus system functioning on St. Thomas, St.
Croix and St. John. It definitely has room for improvement,
however can be used to get around if you learn the route well and
allow time for it taking a long time and/or the bus being late.
No buses on Water Island.

Taxi

Taxis can be easily found in the U.S.V.I, with the exception
of Water Island where there are no taxis. On St. Thomas, St. John
and St. Croix taxis are common and easy to use and costly if you
use them often. Taxis charge per person and per destination, they
are not metered.

'Dollar Rides' or 'Dollar Taxis'

There are taxi drivers that run 'dollar rides' in safari
buses on St. Thomas and St. Croix. A safari is a truck that has
been outfitted with bench seating in the back. It is open air but
covered. Not all safari buses are 'dollar rides', some are regular
taxis. The 'dollar rides' do not have signs identifying them as
such; however they generally run the same route as the public bus
and pull in or close to bus stops. If in doubt ask the driver
before boarding. Also ask where they are heading to make sure they
are going the route you want to go. They are for the most part
un-regulated, and operate mostly to assist with the transportation
needs of residents. Some 'dollar ride' drivers charge
non-residents regular taxi rates.

For St. Thomas

Dollar rides
are $1 for short trips like: anywhere in town between the
University of the Virgin Islands and the Hospital (Schneider
Regional Medical Center), traveling to points between the Hospital
and Pricesmart (supermarket), traveling from one point in the
country to another (country is used to describe the middle and
east end of the island). The fare is $2 for longer cross-island
trips like: traveling from the Hospital to Pricesmart and beyond
and traveling from Pricemart and beyond to anywhere in town.

18th Edition

Moving to the U.S. Virgin Islands?

The Settlers Handbook for the U.S. Virgin Islands is your guide to moving to St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. John and Water Island.

The current 18th Edition, released in January 2016, will help you explore your dream of island living. A solid reference book, it was first published in 1975. That's 40 years of helping people move to the islands. A must read. Order today.